Using Fragile Families Data to Study Health

1. Using Fragile Families Data to Study Health

2. Baseline Health Measures • Mother: prenatal health behaviors (smoking drinking, drug use); prenatal care use (month); general health status (5 point scale); health insurance type • Father: health behaviors (smoking, drinking, drug use) general health status (5 point scale); serious health problem that limits work (reported by mother) • Child: birth weight

3. Follow-Up Measures (1 and 3 years) • Mother: general health status (5 point scale); serious health problem that limits work; substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, illicit drugs—marijuana, other) • 3 years only: prescribed medications; hospitalizations; ER use; height and weight; health insurance; regular source of health care • Father: same as mothers • Child: breastfeeding (1 year); general health status (5 point scale); physical disabilities; illnesses; injuries; ER use; hospitalizations (for accidents/injuries; for illnesses); asthma (diagnosis, attack, ER use); lead poisoning (3 years); weight; height (3 years); well child care; regular source of health care; second hand smoke

4. Collaborative Project:Medical Records and Neighborhoods • Collect new data from hospital birth records of Fragile Families mothers and babies • Geocode Fragile Families survey records and attach neighborhood characteristics Funded by NICHD and RWJ Foundation

5. Medical Records Data • Pre-existing Medical Conditions • Lab Test Results • Psychosocial History • Obstetrical History • Labor/Delivery Complications • Newborn Information • Detailed Notes

6. So far… • Medical Records Data Completed in 10 Cities: • Austin, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, • Oakland, San Jose, Baltimore, Philadelphia, • Boston, Jacksonville, Norfolk • …plus a subset of records in Newark • Going into the field in Indianapolis next week

7. Sneak Preview • 17% of mothers had STDs during pregnancy • 32% of mothers had bacterial vaginosis or other genitourinary infection during pregnancy • 38% of mothers were obese (BMI >= 30) • 11% of mothers used illicit drugs prenatally • 12% of infants in NICU

8. Neighborhoods • Neighborhoods confer health disadvantages above and beyond those accruing from individual level poverty: • Housing and other buildings old, in poor condition • Environmental pollutants

9. Role of Neighborhoods • Low birthweight: tract-level income • Lead poisoning: areas with low housing values, where most homes were built before 1950, with higher density, with higher rates of poverty, with poorly educated population, with lower rates of owner-occupied housing • Asthma: low-income neighborhoods, indoor and outdoor environmental pollutants

10. Two Sets of Analyses • #1 Analyze determinants of poor infant and child health • #2 Assess how poor child health affects family resources

11. Determinants of Child Health Effects of prenatal use of illicit drugs on preterm birth, low birth weight, and longer-term child health outcomes Effects of fathers on infant and child health outcomes (parents’ relationship status, behaviors) Neighborhood factors and racial disparities in preterm birth and low birth weight

12. Effects on Family Resources Poor child health (from survey): Decreases likelihood that parents of one year old children live together by 9-10 percentage points Reduces mother's probability of being employed by 8 percentage points and hours of work by 3 per week • Reduces father’s probability of being employed by 8 percentage points and hours of work by 5 per week, net of effects on mother’s employment

13. Other Family Resources • Living with extended family • Public assistance • Child support • Subsequent education • Child care • Pediatric health care • Participation in preschool programs